Councillors want kids involved

Councillors Casey Owens and Stacy Wight would like to see KL’s youth learn about how the municipality is run and to some extent get involved with municipal politics.

At Tuesday’s regular meeting of council the two will present a recommendation “that Council consider the development and creation of a Kirkland Lake Youth Council Committee. The purpose of this committee would be to engage young members of our community to not only learn about Municipal Governance and Administration, but to also take an active role in advising council on issues and opportunities facing their demographic.”

In their report Wight and Owens write “according to the Municipal Youth Engagement Handbook, the need for municipalities to encourage active citizenship among young residents is clear from the evolving state of the Canadian workforce.

According to the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators: “Attracting and retaining qualified employees ranks second only to the economy as the most significant threat” to municipal organizations today.

Elected municipal leaders and administrators must engage with their young residents to demonstrate that careers in the municipal sector can be very rewarding. This will be critical to ensure that services

Canadian rely on continue to operate smoothly and sustainably. Currently, young Canadians do not perceive their interests to be represented by the democratic institutions they have at their disposal.

This is clear from the declining youth voter turnout that communities across Canada have experienced at all levels of government. Municipal leaders have the tools, resources and the responsibility to challenge this perception.”

We as community leaders must recognize the positive connection between involving youth in community activities and the increase in overall community vitality and engagement.”